Press Release

Fortinet®, the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, today announced that its Security Awareness and Training service customized for educators is now available in English and French at no cost to the approximately 300 school boards and 1,700 private schools across Canada to help combat cyberattacks on Canadian educational institutions. Fortinet signed agreements with Saanich School District N°63 and Okanagan Similkameen Schools District N°53 in British Columbia to be two of the first to deploy the security training for their education staff.

“The Saanich School District is pleased to partner with Fortinet to improve cybersecurity and awareness amongst our staff and faculty members. This is a great initiative by Fortinet to support School Districts by providing this service at no fee,” said Cody Henschel, Director of IT at Saanich School District. 

“As our daily lives increasingly rely more on technology, it’s important that we all take cybersecurity seriously. If you’re learning how to use a computer, you also need to learn how to use it safely,” said Lisa Beare, British Columbia Minister of Citizens’ Services.

As part of the customizable service, school boards can set campaigns and select which modules to deploy at whichever intervals they choose. The training is comprised of 20 modules, including Bad Actors, Data Privacy, Insider Threat, Mobile Security, Social Engineering, Social Media, and more.

“We are excited to be expanding the offering of our education-focused version of the Fortinet Security Awareness and Training Service available at no cost to school boards and private schools across Canada. With schools being frequently targeted by cyberattacks, it is imperative that the frontline of defense, which includes staff and faculty, have a fundamental understanding of cyber threats, allowing them to better safeguard the data of schools, staff, and students” explained John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet.

According to the Fortinet 2023 Security Awareness and Training Global Research, 81% of surveyed organizations faced malware, phishing, and password attacks last year—many of which directly targeted employees. In addition, 56% of leaders believe their employees lack knowledge when it comes to cybersecurity awareness.

Fortinet’s Commitment and Collaborations to Address the Skills Shortage

As part of the company’s mission to train 1 million people in cybersecurity by 2026, Fortinet is actively committed to expand cybersecurity awareness to as many as possible to make a significant difference in addressing the skills gap. To help advance this pledge, Fortinet also works with academia through its Fortinet Academic Partner Program and other academic partners to help develop a skilled cybersecurity workforce of the future. With more than 600 academic partners in over 90 countries and territories, this program allows them to integrate Fortinet’s award-winning NSE training and certification courses into their curriculum for students.

Additional Resources

• Learn about Fortinet’s free cybersecurity training, which includes broad cyber awareness and product training. As part of the Fortinet Training Advancement Agenda (TAA), the Fortinet Training Institute also provides training and certification through the Network Security Expert (NSE) Certification, Academic Partner, and Education Outreach programs.
• Learn more about FortiGuard Labs threat intelligence and research and Outbreak Alerts, which provide timely steps to mitigate breaking cybersecurity attacks.
• Learn more about Fortinet’s FortiGuard Security Services portfolio.
• Read about how Fortinet customers are securing their organizations.
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